Jvari Monastery

Map Location

Maps detected!

---

This page uses Google Maps. The map will be loaded from Google-Server and some of your data may be used by Google. In order to see the maps, please click accept. You can also click here to see further information related to this.

Deny Accept

Categories:

Religious Sights

General info

In the East of Mtskheta, at the mouth of the Mtkvari and the Aragvi, on the rocky mountain there is Jvari Monastery. After the spread of Christianity in Kartli by Saint Nino, in 326 there started building of Christian Temples. Mirian King of Georgia set a cross, as a symbol of the newly established religion on the rocky mountain, which became the venerated not only of the Georgians but of the entire Caucasian population. Since the beginning of the 6th century, Sasanid Iran began to persecute Christianity to shutter it, and soon overthrew the reign. This success of the Iranians did not last long and soon the whole South Caucasus rebellion broke out. Guaram Bagrationi, helped by the Byzantine Emperor, led the uprising in Kartli. Iran’s Shah Hormizid IV defeated the revolt, but he had to recognize Guaram as the Erismtavari – Duke of Kartli. The Byzantine Emperor gave him the title of Curapalat. Gurgen Kurapalat built a small church in the North of the Cross – installed by Mirian the King, to strengthen Christianity, with an arch entrance, with the cross-shaped vault. There was an arch niche with the image of the cross in the church, supposedly – for the throne of the Catholicos.

 At the beginning of the VII century, Stephanoz I-the son of Guaram Curapalat, Kartli regained its full independence. He placed a cross on the pedestal on the coin of his cut instead of the Mazdeyan relique – Fire and wrote his own name in Georgian. Near the small church Stepanoz built a large temple of the architecture characteristic for the early Feudal Period, which led to the construction of cross-type temples in Georgia. The statues with the inscriptions on the façade of the temple depict the members of the Stefanoz family: the brother Demetre, the son Adarnase and the grandson Kobul-Stepanoz. Kneltdown Kobul-Stepanoz, depicted on the East façade of the temple’s, is called Patrikios: “The Cross of our Savior, pardon Kartli Patrikios Stepanoz.” The scene of “Ascension of the Cross” is depicted on the South entrance façade of the temple.

 There was an eight-sided structure in the center of the temple – the pedestal for the Cross which was put up by King Mirian and which was the reason for building Great Jvari (the Cross) Temple. The small fragments of the painting preserved in the interior show that the temple was painted later. In XVII-XVIIIc.c., due to the frequent invasions of the Lezgians in Georgia, Jvari Monastery was walled. The fragments of the wall and half-ruined towers built in the wall, have survived. The first best example of cross-domed architecture in Georgia – Mtskheta Jvari Monastery is in the list of the World Heritage Monuments.

Gallery

BUSINESS REVIEWS

There are no reviews at the moment

Verified Review Policy

100% Genuine

There are many online platforms that accept customer reviews these days, and we all know that these reviews can be faked. So when you see our green tick, you have the safety of knowing that every review on Top Property has been independently investigated by us, and verified as a genuine customer.

The way we verify any review is with evidence of the contract between that business and client, like a copy of an invoice, a signed contract, a receipt of payment, or a related internal company record.

This information is supplied to us when that review is submitted, and it’s only when we are satisfied it’s legitimate, that will we publish it. This information we use as evidence is provided to us by the company which that review is about, and or by the client who paid for those products and or services.